The Tooth, The Whole Tooth And Nothing But The Tooth
by dublin writer
Summary: After a painful Wisdom tooth extraction, Steve ends up getting pranked by Mike but luckily for Steve someone is looking out for him and gets bittersweet revenge for him. Just a humorous one shot written for fun and entertainment purposes only. Disclaimer: The characters as always do not belong to me. I just borrow them for a while and put them back where I found them afterwards.


**The Tooth, The Whole Tooth And Nothing But The Tooth**

Chapter 1

Mike sat back in the wicker chair by the bedroom window and lifted his newspaper up slightly so that the light from the window caught the page and made the print easier to read. A sound from the bed caught his attention and he lowered it purposefully and lowered his reading glasses further down onto his nose to glance over them at the sleeping occupant of the bed. The young man shifted slightly and groaned for the third time in the last half hour and Mike felt that he would probably wake soon as a result.

He had been watching over his sleeping partner for the past three hours since he had brought him home to De Haro Street after his wisdom tooth extraction earlier in the morning. Steve had been suffering from bad toothache for the last couple of weeks and finally Mike had managed to make the young man see sense and after much pestering he had finally arranged to have himself checked out. A wisdom tooth impaction was diagnosed much to Steve's dismay and even more to his horror the procedure had been scheduled for the following Monday morning. Mike chuckled as he remembered how many times Steve had tried to wriggle out of the extraction even to the point of trying to pretend it wasn't hurting him anymore but Mike had won out and this morning all had gone as planned. He remembered how nervous Steve had been in the waiting room before his name had been called and Mike had waited until he was inside and being put under the general anesthetic before he left to go back to work for a while. Then the call had come to collect him and he chuckled further as he remembered how out of it the poor fellow was when he had arrived back at the Montgomery and Kline Dental Clinic to collect him.

It had been quite the ordeal getting him to put one foot in front of the other and then into the car and up the steps to the house when they arrived home and then upstairs to the spare bedroom but they had made it eventually and now he had been sleeping like a log every since. That is until about a half an hour ago when the restlessness had begun. The Dental Surgeon Oliver Kline had given Mike strict instructions as to Steve's surgery aftercare. He was to let him sleep off the anesthetic and then when he woke up, he was to administer painkillers of the soluble variety and food was going to have be soft and pureed for the first forty eight hours so that no bits of food would make their way into the healing empty tooth socket. Jeannie had proved to be only too willing to blend any food she cooked for him and Mike recalled how the thoughts of having to eat food resembling baby food further depressed the young Inspector. The worst part for Steve was that NO sunflower seeds could be consumed until the gum had healed fully so that the tiny seeds couldn't get lodged in the now empty tooth socket either and Mike had removed any of the packets of seeds from both his jacket pockets and the LTD glove box just in case the young man had found himself tempted. Mike was also to watch for excessive bleeding or swelling and the mouth would have to be regularly gargled with salt water to cleanse it and ice packs would be necessary to reduce the swelling and ease the pain as well.

Mike had secured two days off from Olsen for Steve and he was staying at Mike's in the interim recovery period. Much to Steve's added embarrassment, Mike had insisted on taking the two days off personally to keep an eye on him and when Jeannie had heard about the planned procedure she too had agreed to stay a few days extra before returning to Arizona on the Wednesday instead. With two potential nurse maids and a whole lot of fussing in store Steve had been like a briar before the procedure and knew the next two days were going to be hell on earth.

As another louder groan came from the prone figure on the bed, Mike removed his glasses and put them down on the small table beside him and folding the newspaper carefully he set it down too before rubbing the bridge of his nose and standing up to stretch.

He crossed the room and sat on the bed lightly beside his partner and glanced over at the left side of Steve's face. It was very swollen and the sight was still very hard to look at. The young man's boyish good looks were temporarily compromised by the swollen jaw and the bloodied gauze and packing that were still protruding from the left side of his mouth. Mike winced in sympathy and decided that he had better get the painkillers ready for his partner's awakening. That was gonna hurt like hell and without the pain killers he knew Steve was going to be like a bear with a sore head. He reached over to pour the glass of water and dropped the two tablets into the glass, watching them fizz and bubble as they dissolved. Steve moved again this time and seemed to startle awake and Mike pressed a gentle hand against his chest to prevent him from making any sudden movements.

"Hey, hey Buddy boy. Take it easy now. You're going to be a bit sore for a while."

Steve turned his eyes to find where the voice had come from and squinted his eyes in the darkened room.

"Mike? ... Is ...is it over? ..." Steve asked drowsily in a muffled voice caused by the padding in his left jaw.

Mike smiled as he saw the drug fueled confusion still evident in the young man's eyes and spoke reassuringly.

"Yes it's over ... Steve, you're back at my house and all. You had the tooth out at eleven o'clock this morning."

On hearing Mike's words, Steve reached up and touched the left side of his face and instantly regretted the move. His jaw was sore to the touch and he shivered at the odd sensation that was pulsating through his cheek. It felt like he had been hit on the left side of his face with a baseball bat and he groaned as the pain heightened.

"OW! ... Why did I let you talk me into this?" Steve grumbled as the pain now built steadily.

"Now, now ... Let's not bring that one up again. You know you had to get it done. Now sit up a little and take these painkillers for me, ok?"

Steve rubbed at his eyes again and struggled up onto his right elbow and reached out to take the glass from Mike. Watching the pale effervescent liquid swirl in circles around the glass, Steve looked disgusted.

"What is this?"

"They're soluble painkillers, that's all. Come on now. Stop analyzing it and get it down your neck. "

Steve scowled and then holding his jaw carefully with one hand, he held the glass with the other and lifting his head back he poured it into his mouth and swallowed several times. As the glass emptied, Steve made a face at the chalky residue that went down his throat and coughed twice before handing the offending glass back to Mike. Taking it back off him, Mike then took up an ice pack and lying him back down and removing Steve's hand, he placed it against the young man's jaw. Steve jumped slightly from the intense cold but then thanked him, glad of the cooling and numbing relief it brought.

"Now open your mouth for me until I take a look at where they took that tooth out, please." he instructed next as Steve tried to open his mouth as wide as he could without hurting his throbbing jaw.

"Steve, you're going to have to open it wider than that. Otherwise I won't be able to see anything."

Steve groused and complained as he made a concerted effort to open his mouth a little wider and his jaw protested.

"Ow! I can't open it any wider than this ... Oh, it's killing me Mike."

"Ok, ok that will do. It will just take a minute."

Mike carefully pulled out the padding and the bloodied gauze and using a small torch he shone it inside of Steve's mouth. He winced at the sight of it. It was very bloodied and red raw looking but he could see where the gum had been sutured closed. There was a lot of swelling around it and on the inside of Steve's jaw. He shook his head and sympathized as he turned off the torch and patted Steve's arm.

"Ooh! That's going to be very sore for the next forty eight hours Buddy boy. But at least it's stopped bleeding for now so we can leave the padding out. You mightn't sound as incoherent with all that padding out of your mouth."

Steve nodded but seemed to be very thoughtful. Mike waited to see what he would say next and he didn't have to wait long.

"OH ... My jaw feels like it's triple its normal size ..."

"It's swollen alright but not that bad. It just feels like that Buddy boy. Those painkillers will kick in soon and it will be a lot easier, don't worry."

"That's easy for you to say ... What time is it?" Steve asked as his head dropped back against the soft pillow, his addled brain still recovering from the earlier sedation.

"It's just after four o'clock in the afternoon. Jeannie's making some chicken and vegetable soup for later when you're hungry."

Steve got his bearings and could actually smell the soup as the comforting aroma wafted up the stairs and drifted in the half open door from the landing.

"Yeah ... It smells good."

"Hmmm ... Sure does doesn't it? And don't worry it will be smooth so you should manage it fine. Do you feel any nausea after the anesthetic, only the Dentist said that we should watch out for that. He gave me anti-sickness pills for you in case you needed them."

Steve shook his head in a dual attempt to clear the last of the annoying fog that was lingering on his brain and to answer Mike's question.

"No ... No I don't feel sick just a little fuzzy. How ... How did you get me here?"

That question took Mike by surprise. He knew Steve had been still very under the influence of the sedative drugs and had been very quiet and unresponsive but he had been walking and seemingly awake. He had thought he would at the very least remember the journey home.

"Steve, I walked you out of there. Don't you remember?"

Steve looked puzzled and then again shook his head purposefully.

"No ... No, before waking up just now, the last thing I remember was you walking out of the Dentist room as they were putting me under. I WALKED out of there?"

Mike nodded and suddenly had a mischievous thought. Deciding to have a little fun with the young man, Mike continued, chuckling as he did.

"Well ... To be honest it's probably just as well you don't remember any of it."

At those words Steve sat up a little straighter as he stared incredulously at Mike, an uneasy feeling now starting to develop in the pit of his stomach.

"What? What do you mean by that?"

"Oh nothing at all ... It's just that ... You really don't remember a single thing?"

"No Mike ... Nothing ... Did I do something? "

Mike paused for a few purposeful minutes for effect as he pretended to look uncomfortable.

"No ... Nothing really ... Just ... No, no there's no need to worry. If you don't remember then it's for the best. Let's just forget it, ok?"

Steve was getting increasingly agitated as he started to worry about whatever Mike was choosing NOT to tell him. Temporarily forgetting the niggling discomfort on the left side of his face, he pleaded with the older man .

"MIKE! You can't do that to me ... Just tell me what happened, will ya?"

"You REALLY want to know?"

"YES! " Steve said loudly as the frustration and worry got the better of his patience as it ran out rapidly.

Mike held in the chuckles as he cleared his throat and continued his tale with as serious a face as he could muster.

"Well, ok ... Just calm down will you? If you're that adamant you need to know, then I'll tell you. Besides ... It wasn't anything too bad. Just when I collected you and we were walking through the waiting room ah ... there was music playing and you ... you started to ... waltz me around the room."

Only for the fact that Steve's jaw was as sore as it was it would have hit the floor. As it was, it dropped open and he closed it just as quick as the pain increased. On hearing Mike's words, Steve flustered accordingly.

"I ... I what?"

Mike looked sympathetic, keeping his act up beautifully yet inwardly reveling in the funny reactions from Steve. Steve had often pranked him over the last few years of their partnership and after all it was just a harmless bit of fun and it was keeping Steve's mind beautifully off the pain he was in while the painkillers kicked in. Besides, he was going to tell him the truth soon enough anyway.

"Yes, you were quite a good dancer too. You actually surprised me. And it certainly entertained the waiting clients."

"The ... The waiting clients! Well how many ... how many people saw me ... do THAT?"

"Oh well it was hard to tell ... The waiting room was pretty full and you were ... well spinning me around at the time ..."

Steve dry swallowed and closed his eyes as he felt his heart race. He was suddenly sorry he had insisted on Mike telling him what had happened. Mike risked a grin as he saw Steve's eyes close and waited for the young man to recover a little before continuing.

"Oh don't worry now. It wasn't that bad! Besides people understood you weren't quite yourself and it was very funny and anyway you didn't dance with me for long."

Steve's eyes reopened at those words and he audibly sighed with relief.

"Well Thank God for that! "

"That's right ... As soon as you laid eyes on Mrs. Merryweather you decided she'd make a better dance partner than me anyway.'

Steve almost choked on his sigh of relief. With another incredulous look on his face and a definite blush entering his cheeks, he stammered in mortification.

"Mrs. Merryweather? You mean old Mrs. Merryweather the receptionist?"

As he saw Mike nod slowly, Steve stammered again in shock.

"MIKE! She has a bad leg."

"Well, I think you just cured her Buddy boy. I think she was quite flattered actually. She thought you were a pretty good dancer too."

Steve groaned but Mike wasn't sure if it was from the pain in his jaw or from the embarrassment.

"MIKE? Why didn't you STOP me from making a fool of myself like that?"

"Well you were drugged and out of control. Believe me I TRIED. I finally got you towards the door and that's when you ah ... stole the little girl's lollipop."

Steve suddenly felt ill. He couldn't quite believe that he was even capable of the things Mike was saying he did. The drugs must have affected him very badly. He stuttered in response.

"I WHAT? I ... I stole a kid's lollipop?"

"Yes but don't worry. Her mother was very understanding when I explained what you'd just been through and besides ... She didn't cry for that long ..."

"She ... She was crying? Well did ... did you get it back off me for her?"

"Ah no ... You wouldn't give it back but her Mother said it was ok. "

Steve pressed the ice pack closer to his face hoping it would take the red warmth of humiliation from his cheeks as well as taking the swelling down. He was almost afraid to ask what happened next. Mike could see that he was starting to take the prank a little too hard and so decided it was time to bring it to a close. Steve didn't seem to be wincing from the pain in his jaw as much so the prank Mike felt, had done its job for now and the painkillers seemed to be easing his discomfort.

"Mike, please tell me you got me to the car and home then without further incident."

Mike smiled warmly, but it took every ounce of willpower he had to hold back the giggles as he heard the seriousness in Steve's voice.

"Yes ... I got you down to the car but there was one final bright side."

"Oh! What was that?" Steve asked reluctantly.

"Well ... I parked right outside the Dental clinic so that I could get you into the car easily when I got you out and ah well ... I was parked in the no parking zone. There was a female traffic warden writing us a ticket when we came out ... You ah ... managed to talk her around and then you whispered something to her and then she wrote something down and then she let us drive away. So you saved us from getting a ticket Buddy boy ..."

Steve's face darkened again, a deep sense of foreboding filling him at that last statement of Mike's.

"Wait a minute! What do you mean I talked her around? You mean I ... well you know ... I ah ... flirted with her? ..."

Mike couldn't help the slight grin that appeared but forced himself not to let it widen.

"Well, I'm not sure. I mean I didn't hear what you said to her but it well ... it kind of looked that way, yeah. "

Steve was now breathing heavier and shifted uncomfortably in the bed as he continued to stare unnervingly at the older man.

"Mike? You said she wrote something down. What? Did I give her my number?"

"I didn't see what she wrote but maybe ... "

Steve's stare intensified and then Mike saw him take an extra deep breath before he reluctantly continued his line of questioning.

"Mike? Tell me the truth. I mean what was she like? This ah Traffic Warden ... I mean I don't even remember her ..."

Mike paused and suddenly regretted starting the whole joke off to begin with. The part about the Traffic Warden had been the only real part of what had actually happened and so he felt obliged to tell him the truth despite feeling guilty that this blow would now come on top of the other little white lies he had already told.

"She ah ... She was around my age ..."

Steve's eyes widened in sympathy with his jaw that couldn't drop and he almost seemed to hold his breath for several seconds. Then as if in slow motion he closed his eyes and his hand came up to rest across his face, staying mainly on the right side away from his throbbing jaw. Mike heard the sharp intake of breath followed by the strained voice that followed half muffled behind his hand.

"Aw Man! Mike please tell me you're kidding me?"

Mike felt bad and tried to salvage his prank that had gone a step too far. Outside the bedroom door Jeannie had raised a hand to knock and enter to declare lunch ready when she heard Steve's unsteady voice pleading inside and her Father's following reply and she found herself standing there listening instead at the exchange going on within the confines of the spare bedroom.

"Listen Steve ... Don't panic ok? Look you were so far out of it, I doubt you were even able to remember your phone number so whatever number you gave her was probably wrong anyway. Don't think anymore about it, ok?"

The young Inspector dropped the hand away from his face and raised his head off the pillow an inch or two to stare incredulously at the older man, not finding any comfort or consolation in his reply.

"Don't THINK about it! You just told me I danced with you around a waiting room full of people, that I swept Mrs. Merryweather with her bad leg off her feet, stole candy from a little girl and made her cry and chatted up a woman old enough to be my Mother and you're telling me NOT to THINK about it? SERIOUSLY?"

The litany of Mike's made up events and the shocked and sarcastic tone in Steve's voice caused an involuntary chuckle to erupt from the older man and while he tried to tone it down, Steve noticed and suddenly realized he'd been had. Shaking his head carefully as Mike's chuckling became harder to rein in, he spoke in disbelief.

"Oh my God! You were having me on, weren't you? MIKE? So none of that happened?"

Mike tried to apologize between giggles.

"Oh I'm sorry ... Buddy boy ... Just when you said you couldn't remember ... I couldn't resist playing with you but ... well ... I let it get out of hand ... I'm really sorry ... But it was taking your mind off the pain and ..."

Steve stared at Mike and on hearing his blatant confession he swatted at the older man in growing annoyance at the prank, catching him across the upper right arm and stopping Mike mid-sentence.

"MIKE! How could you do that? You really had me worried there. "

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let it get that far. I ... I don't know what came over me ... "

"Damn right you shouldn't! " Steve stated and then on hearing the genuine remorse in Mike's voice and knowing in his heart that Mike had just been clowning around and hadn't meant to affect him so badly, he finally relaxed and allowed his sense of humor to return and see the funny side of Mike's prank.

A small smile crept back across the younger man's face and he started to giggle a little himself only more reservedly as the initial chuckle sent a shock wave through his afflicted jaw and so he subdued the following giggles as a result.

"Oh Man! You really had me going there! I could picture all that happening in my head ..."

Jeannie Stone stood outside the door, her hands on her hips and her face held a certain mix of disbelief and menace at the cruel joke she had just heard her Father play on his injured sounding partner. She was all fired up and ready to go in and scold her Father heavily for the cruelty in his supposedly harmless prank when the phone rang and hesitantly she turned from her intended action and headed into Mike's bedroom to take the call from there.

"Oh Hi Rudy." she replied to the familiar voice of Captain Rudy Olsen that she instantly recognized as she had answered the phone.

"Oh he's home alright. Yes ... yes he's doing fine. It all went well and he's slept off the anesthesia but he's going to be very sore for a while yet but he'll be ok. Sure ... Yes I'll tell him you were asking for him. Thanks for calling ... Bye ..."

Back in the spare room, Mike patted Steve's shoulder in apology and as his laughter subsided, he remained apologetic and sincere.

"I really am sorry Buddy boy ..."

"So I didn't dance with anyone?" Steve asked to clarify what the truth had been.

"No ... No you didn't. Being honest, you were very subdued coming through the waiting room. You could hardly put one foot in front of the other, let alone dance."

Mike heard Steve audibly sigh with relief.

"And I didn't sweep Mrs Merryweather off her feet? "

Mike again shook his head, feeling even worse for the angst he had caused.

"Or steal the little girl's candy?"

Mike allowed himself a brief chuckle at the real memory of what had happened.

"No ... Actually the little girl felt sorry for you and offered it to you but you didn't take it and I declined politely for you and thanked her for her thoughtfulness. "

By now Steve had sunk visibly back into the soft pillow beneath his head, fully relieved that the whole worrying saga had been purely borne from Mike's vivid imagination. His jaw was starting to ease up as the painkillers did their job and he eased the ice pack away from his cheek and allowed it to fall away slightly as the jaw remained numbingly chilled from the time it had spent in close proximity to his offending injury.

Jeannie had arrived back outside Steve's room and was back in full telling off mode when she heard Mike speak again and hesitated once more before entering, listening instead as Mike continued.

"Ah ... There is one thing. I'm afraid the last part actually did happen Steve."

Seeing Steve's face darken on hearing those words he flustered accordingly to try and ease the sting from them.

"But you did save us from getting a ticket and like I said Steve ... You were too far out of it to remember anything so I'm sure whatever you told her wasn't the real information ... I mean it couldn't possibly have been ..."

Steve dry swallowed and brought his hand back up subconsciously to lie protectively against his swollen jaw that still felt triple it's normal size despite the reduced pain he was in now thanks to the drugs he had taken earlier.

"Aw Mike, stop torturing me will ya?"

Mike's face however remained completely serious and Steve realized that this time he was actually NOT joking.

"Aw Man! What am I gonna do if she calls me Mike?"

Mike sympathized and flustered an answer.

"Well you just explain that it was all a big mistake and that you were under ah ... sedation at the time ..."

Steve groaned and covered his face with both hands as he let that sorry fact sink into his addled brain and hoped that Mike had been right about him giving her a wrong number. On hearing the last part of the conversation from her vantage point outside the door and realizing that Mike hadn't been aware of who had just called, Jeannie suddenly saw a clear way of pranking her Father back on Steve's behalf. Smiling from ear to ear she quickly drew a serious expression back onto her face and knocking purposefully on the door she strode into the room confidently.

"Hey you two ... How's the patient?"

She strode over to Steve whose face was still covered and noticed Mike's flustered expression as she did.

"Oh he's fine. Just very sore but his painkillers are kicking in, I think."

She threw an expressionless stare in Mike's direction without replying before bending down and gently lifting Steve's hands away from his face and wincing sympathetically at the swollen jaw beneath and the tortured look on Steve's face leftover from Mike's cruel prank.

"Ooh ... That looks sore Steve. You ok?"

Her hand gently stroked the uninjured side of his face and brought a welcome soothing comfort with its movement. Along with her bright smile, it brought a return of Steve's smile too as he nodded his head and spoke softly in answer to her question.

"Yeah ... Yeah I'm ok Jeannie, thanks. "

Smiling even wider she then turned to face Mike purposefully, her hand moving down to grasp Steve's hand instead in a comforting gesture.

"Oh Mike ... There was a phone call just there for you."

Mike's brow raised and he smiled gratefully.

"Oh? Was it Rudy? He said he'd ring about this time to check up on how Steve got on." he stated plainly.

Jeannie was enjoying this part of the revenge plan as she remained serious but was inwardly holding back the wide grin that longed to be released.

"Ah no ... Actually it was a woman. She asked for you by name and said something about a promised date in exchange for a parking ticket or something? You know anything about that?"

She watched as Mike's jaw dropped and then saw Steve's expression that followed.

At first, he looked from Jeannie to Mike incredulously as the story unfolded and he realized its meaning but when he returned his stare to Jeannie he saw her wink purposefully in his direction and felt her squeeze his hand as well. Realizing that she was getting payback for him he grinned and returned to enjoy Mike's reaction to that made up news. As he watched, the colour drained from Mike's face before the older man finally stammered.

"What? "

"Yeah, I told her she must have the wrong number but she was insistent that you were the correct Lieutenant Stone that promised her a date night. Did you really promise that just to get out of a parking ticket Mike? I mean I'm surprised at you!"

Steve held back a laugh at Jeannie's convincing performance and marveled at how alike she and Mike were. He watched as Mike flustered even more and reddened in the face.

"I most certainly DID NOT! It ...it was HIS fault ..." he flustered accordingly and pointed an accusing finger in Steve's direction.

Then turning to face Steve he stumbled over his next words.

"STEVE! You must have given her MY number? What were you thinking of?"

As Steve shrugged his shoulders, starting to feel unable to hold back the laughter for long, Jeannie intervened and rescued him with a sharp retort.

"MIKE! Don't you DARE try to blame him. He was heavily sedated when you brought him home. He wasn't capable of doing something like that."

"But ... But he DID Jeannie. You weren't there. He joked with her and gave her his number only it turns out now that ... he obviously gave her MINE! Well TELL her Steve ..."

Steve felt Jeannie squeeze his hand again and unsure how he managed to remain serious, he shrugged his shoulders and spoke apologetically.

"Sorry Mike ... I ah told you ... I don't remember a thing ..."

Mike's jaw dropped again as he glared helplessly at Steve and then back at the disapproving look on his daughter's face.

"I'm TELLING you Jeannie. I NEVER gave that woman my number. I SWEAR to you. "

Jeannie shrugged off his explanation and spoke casually.

"Well then you can explain that to her when she calls you back in five minutes."

"Calls me back in five minutes?" Mike repeated in alarm. "Oh Jeannie, when she calls back tell her I'm not here will you? I mean help your old man out here. Tell her anything but ..."

As Mike flustered uncontrollably, Jeannie couldn't hold the pretense up any longer and began to giggle which in turn set Steve chuckling with her. Holding his sore jaw as tight as he could without it hurting, the two young people in the room began to laugh at the shocked and panicked look on Mike's face. Seeing them both laugh Mike knew that Jeannie must have overheard his prank and had just successfully gotten revenge on Steve's behalf. Accepting the payback that he knew he deserved and inwardly admiring how Jeannie had so successfully pulled it off, he nodded his head and joined in their laughter.

"Oh very funny. You really got me back there Sweetheart. A real double act aren't you? It WAS Rudy on the phone wasn't it?" he asked as all three continued to laugh and enjoy the playful camaraderie between them.

As her giggles finally subsided, Jeannie wiped at the laughter induced tears in her eyes and spoke as seriously as she could under the circumstances.

"Well it served you right Daddy. That was a cruel joke you played on Steve in his current condition. And YES it was Rudy. He was asking for you Steve and said to get well soon."

Steve nodded as the laughter made him feel lots better. He even managed to push aside the worry over what number he HAD actually given to the Traffic Warden as he basked in the satisfactory glow of bitter sweet revenge.

"Thanks Jeannie ... That was just BEAUTIFULLY done ..." he uttered admiringly.

He felt a playful nudge on his left side from Mike and turned to look at him.

"Oh you liked that huh? Making me sweat in revenge, huh Buddy boy?"

"Yeah ... I LOVED it ... " he joked playfully back as the older man smiled warmly in his direction, raising his hands up in a mock surrendering gesture.

"Ok ,ok you two are right. I deserved it. Now ... can we please just put the whole sorry incident behind us huh? No more talk of Traffic Wardens and dates, please. "

Jeannie and Steve both nodded graciously as she spoke then pleasantly.

"Ok ... Just as long as you've learned your lesson about pranking people?"

"Oh I HAVE... BELIEVE me!"

"Good, well the soup is ready. Would you two both like some brought up?"

"Hmmm... Smells great Sweetheart. I for one would love some, thank you."

Turning to Steve she asked affectionately.

"What about you Steve? Do you think you could manage some? I'll make sure it's not too hot in case you're still a little numb."

Smiling gratefully at Jeannie for her thoughtfulness and for having his back so efficiently he answered sweetly.

"Yeah, yeah I think I can ... Mike's right. It smells delicious. Thanks Jeannie."

"Ok, you two sit tight and I'll bring some up here for you. "Jeannie stated happily as she turned and left the room and headed back downstairs to the kitchen to get the lunch dished up.

Mike and Steve smiled at each other in companionable silence as they waited patiently for the delicious meal they had in store to look forward to, Steve feeling much better than he had on waking up.

 **Meanwhile Down In Bryant Street :**

Norm Haseejian ambled out of Mike's Office shaking his head curiously and mumbling under his breath as he returned to his desk after leaving it moments earlier to answer the persistent ringing phone on his Lieutenant's desk. As he sat back down opposite Lee Lessing, Lee raised his head from his notebook and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"What's the matter Norm? "

"Boy! That Stone is a sly one. Who would have thought he had it in him, huh?"

Lee laughed at Norm's shocked expression but still unsure what his colleague was going on about he questioned him again.

"What are you talking about Norm?"

"Stone. I just took a message from a Corrine in the Traffic Department looking for him. Apparently he owes her lunch in exchange for a parking ticket! Anyway I left her number and message on his desk. Is he due back tomorrow?"

"No, I think he's off for two days the same as Steve. I wouldn't worry though. He'll get it when he gets back. "

"Form the sound of Corrine, he most certainly will." Norm added as both Detectives laughed at Norm's unorthodox sense of humor.

 **The End.**

 **A/N: This was just a humorous one shot I wrote as a break from the rather angst filled and emotional updates I am currently writing for my two other ongoing stories. I hope it gives you all the same smiles and light relief it gave me writing it! ;-)  
**


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